Director's Dungeon
Director’s Dungeon is a conversation-driven podcast about the people behind the games we play—and the stories that make them matter.
Hosted by filmmaker and storyteller Chris Moreland, this series began as an offshoot of Roll For Togetherness (formerly 50 Years of Fantasy), a documentary exploring the cultural legacy of Dungeons & Dragons and tabletop roleplaying games. But as the documentary evolved, so did the community around it—and Director’s Dungeon emerged as a space to slow down, dig deeper, and talk directly with the creatives shaping the future of storytelling in games.
Each episode features a guest from the wider world of tabletop and interactive media: game designers, dungeon masters, performers, producers, and even veterans of the original TSR days. You’ll hear from names like Frank Mentzer, co-creator of the Red Box era of D&D; Clint McElroy of The Adventure Zone; and The GM Tim, known for theatrical storytelling and immersive live games. But you’ll also meet artists, activists, and behind-the-scenes builders whose names may not be household yet—but whose impact is deeply felt in the communities they serve.
This isn’t your average game history podcast. Chris approaches each conversation less as a host and more as a curious collaborator—someone who’s worked in the trenches of film, games, and event production, and who knows the power of asking the right question at the right moment. Interviews are relaxed, personal, and unscripted—just two (or more) people swapping stories and insights from across the creative spectrum.
What binds the episodes together is a love of narrative craft, community-building, and the evolving ecosystem of play. Whether it’s a chat about military service and nonprofit grant-writing with Kaylee York, or a deep-dive into horror performance and Call of Cthulhu live tours with Mark Meer, Director’s Dungeon is always looking for the why behind the what. What drives someone to pour hundreds of hours into a homebrew campaign? Why does collaborative fiction matter in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms? What lessons can we learn from 40 years of dice rolls?
And like any good dungeon, it’s a little messy. Some episodes start with mic issues. Others get derailed by talk of mycology, mini painting, or the emotional gut-punch of winning (or losing) at a film festival. But every conversation returns to the human element: the relationships, risks, and rewrites that define life in the creative world.
Director's Dungeon
You can play D&D in the Real Hawkins, Indiana.
While Chris was on the road interviewing game designers in Jackson, Katie stepped into the host chair for this special episode with Vinnie Notobartolo—Dungeon Master, tour guide, and local legend at Hawkins Headquarters in Jackson, Georgia, the real-world backdrop for Stranger Things.
Once a quiet Southern town, Jackson became an unlikely pilgrimage site for Netflix fans after it was used as the primary stand-in for Hawkins, Indiana. And tucked between those filming locations is a small shop where, on the first Friday of every month, Vinnie brings something else to life: a Stranger Things–themed Dungeons & Dragons game open to newcomers and veterans alike.
In this episode, Vinnie shares how he fell in love with D&D after seeing a TV commercial for TSR in the '80s—how the promise of “products for your imagination” still resonates with him today. He talks about the appeal of simple rule sets, the joy of introducing first-time players to collaborative storytelling, and how he’s kept his game inclusive, accessible, and true to the spirit of open-ended adventure.
Katie and Vinnie also explore the culture of play in small towns, the crossover between fandom tourism and tabletop gaming, and how every session becomes a kind of community theater—new players meeting for the first time, improvising together, and walking away as if they’ve known each other for years.
We also get a glimpse into the mechanics Vinnie uses at the table—pulling inspiration from fast-and-loose homebrew systems, alternate defense rules, and a love for drama over crunch. His philosophy is simple: give people a reason to come back, but never make them feel like they have to.
Get Tickets and Play Games With Vinnie in Hawkins.
https://www.strangertours.com/special-events
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Produced by: Build Something Media